Fast Current Hampers Sunken Tour Boat Underwater Search
Japanese rescue crews continue their search inside a sunken tour boat using underwater cameras. They are trying to locate 12 people who remain missing, but a fast ocean current is hampering the operation.
The 19-ton "KAZU I" carrying 24 passengers and two crew members sank on April 23, off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula, northeastern Hokkaido. Fourteen people have been found but there were no survivors.
The boat lies on the seabed at a depth of about 120 meters, which is too deep for divers to investigate. On Sunday, rescuers used remotely operated autonomous underwater vehicles equipped with cameras in their search.
But due to a strong water current, small cameras operated by the Coast Guard and the Police were unable to get close enough to the sunken vessel.
A larger camera operated by the Maritime Self-Defense Force was also not able to locate the missing people or provide any clues as to their whereabouts.
Sources engaged in the operation say that the SDF underwater camera captured images of what appeared to be life jackets moving inside the boat on Saturday.
Rescue crews plan to continue their search on Monday, weather permitting.